Success for creative UCLan graduates

Five students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have been named as winners in a global creative competition.

The recent graduates have been handpicked from 5,000 international entrants to be named NOISE Festival 2014 winners.

Ben Archer, Bernard Burton, Habib Mohammed, Huzaifa Ali and Shane Noblet were chosen by industry experts to be winners in three specialist subject areas - Games & New Media, Advertising and Film/Moving Image.

Twenty-three-year-old Ben Archer, from Manchester, was chosen by curator Clive Barker as a winner in the Film/Moving Image category. Ben, who gained a First in animation, created a short film called Consumption. It tells the melancholy tale of a lone Victorian inventor ostracised from society and stricken with consumption. He sets about creating a clockwork doll, so that he can spend his final moments in someone’s arms.

Judge Clive praised his work saying it was: “Brave, dark, and despairing. Lovely, sombre and perfectly crafted. Though the subject is specific, the theme is as broad as it gets. I will not soon forget this film.”

Ben, who wants to work as an art director and prop designer for theatre and short films, said: “I am exceptionally honoured to be chosen as a NOISE Festival 2014 Curator Choice and would like to extend my thanks to Clive Barker for choosing my piece. It is amazing to see such a positive response to my film and that graduate students are getting recognition within the industry for their hard work.”

"Being selected for NOISE Festival 2014 gives me a belief that my work is good enough for the industry. It’s great motivation for me to continue improving and to learn as much about games design as possible"

Design trio Bernard, Huzaifa and Habib met while studying advertising at UCLan’s Preston Campus and they worked together on their winning selection during their second year. The students’ awareness-raising campaign for the Alzheimer’s Society called ‘Penny for Their Thoughts’ was chosen by curator Andy Bird in the Advertising category.

Their winning advert is for a charity box which uses pennies to create an image on a blank canvas. The more pennies donated, the more of the image is completed until a full image of the brain is displayed.

Curator Andy Bird said: “This work was world class and would probably do well in an award show in its own right.”

Bernard said: “It's an honour to be NOISE Festival Curator Choice. Being a student, it's hard to judge your own work and I'm delighted that people have responded positively. I'd like to thank NOISE for all their efforts in making that happen.”

Preston’s Shane Noblet was chosen as a winner in the Games & New Media category by curator Ian Livingstone.

The 23-year-old games design graduate, who attended both Newman and Runshaw Colleges, won for his ‘A Power Within’ creation.

Co-founder of Games Workshop Ian said: “An original and powerful artistic style with colour, shading and geometry drawing you into the picture. The character figure, though young-looking, appears powerful with his aura of magic fire. There is a tremendous sense of wonder and mystery about the picture which is essential when creating gaming environments to encourage players to continue their adventure, even if it is to their ultimate doom. Can't wait to play the game!”

Shane said: “Being selected for NOISE Festival 2014 gives me a belief that my work is good enough for the industry. It’s great motivation for me to continue improving and to learn as much about games design as possible, so one day I might be able to make my own games.”

NOISE Festival 2014 celebrates the very best emerging creative talent in the UK. Each winning artist is offered mentorship and/or paid work placements alongside their Curator or other leading creative companies as well as the opportunity to be showcased at NOISE Festival 2014 events, online and in the media.

The winners and their work can be found online at NOISEfestival.com and will also form part of a two month outdoor visual arts exhibition in the heart of London’s South Bank at Better Bankside and More London. This free exhibition is open to the public and runs until 7 November.